Dihliojrapliical Notice. 427 



volume. The classification followed is that which appeared in ' The 

 Conchological Society's List of British Land and Freshwater Mol- 

 lusca, 1892.' 



The author in the preface observes that " it is to be regretted 

 that, of necessity, many of the old familiar names — almost house- 

 hold words that call up so many associations — have to give way to 

 others by the inexorable law of priority ; but it is to be hoped that 

 the present system of nomenclature is now fairly crystallized.'' If 

 our author admits the law of priority, he need scared}' regret 

 altering " old familiar names "; but, if he really imagines that the 

 nomenclature he has employed is at all final, we are afraid that his 

 mind will soon be disabused of so vain a hope. For example, we 

 would point out that (1) the genus Neritina (p. 13) belongs to the 

 Scutibranchiata, and not to the Pectiuibranchiata ; (2) that Cydo- 

 stoma (why not Poinatias if j^riority is to be observed?) is not 

 classified with the Pulmonata ; (3) that the terms (p. 147) Acephala, 

 Pelecypoda, and Lamellibranchiata, respectively termed class, sub- 

 class, and order, are practically synonymous. On p. 19 the Pul- 

 monata is regarded as a suborder of Inoperculata, which is termed 

 an order oi Gastropoda (! !), whereas on p. 137 it is placed as a 

 suborder of Operculata. Mr. Adams, whilst adopting the genus 

 Vivipara (Montfort used the masculine form Viviparus) instead of 

 Paludina of Lamarck, has still retained the family name Paludinidse, 

 a course which is not permissible. The generic nomenclature also 

 needs much revision, ritrhia scarcely requires a family Vitrinidse, 

 but might have been left in Limacidse. Hycdinia of Agassiz is not 

 synonymous with Zonites of De Montfort, and is posterior to Vitrea 

 of Fitzinger. The " Helices " are arranged in thirteen subgenera, 

 some of which, e. g. Fatula, Punctum, Acanfhiinda, and VaUonia, 

 are now regarded as distinct genera, and others fall under the genus 

 HeUceJla ; Chilotrema is synonymous with Uelicigona, Ferussac, 

 Goniostoma (preoccupied) with Belicodonta, and Turricida, Beck 

 (also preoccujiied) with Troclndus of Schliiter. With regard to 

 specific names *, we would point out that, whilst adopting Helix 

 itcda, Linn., in place of H. ericetorum, Miiller, it is remarkable that 

 the Helix barbora, Linn, (synonymous with H. acuta, Miill., Jlde 

 Hanley, Westerlund, andPilsbry), is wholly disregarded. Mr. Adams, 

 like most British conchologists, makes very free use of varietal 

 names, a course which has on several occasions been severely depre- 

 cated. For our own part, however, we consider that, within certain 

 limits, the use of varietal names is undoubtedly convenient, and it 

 is the abuse and not the use of the system which has led to censure. 

 In the descriptions, which are mostly very brief, the surface-sculp- 

 ture is very often totally disregarded. For instance, the peculiar 

 wrinkling of Helix asjJersa and the spiral striae of H. arbustorum 

 and the oblique lines of growth in many are not referred to. The 

 glossary (pp. 164-181) will be useful to young students; but it is 



* Helix cantiaiiiformis, Ancey, from Folkestone (Bull. Soc. malac. 

 France, 1884, p. 158), is not referred to. 



